While I am a licensed psychotherapist with a graduate degree and professional training, the most important element I bring to my work is having been through my own life struggles and choosing to look them squarely in the eye.
Ranging from individual to group psychotherapy, workshops and retreats, pilgrimages and explorations around the world, I have been dedicated to my own journey of self-discovery and healing. My practice is to apply the knowledge gained from these experiences into my everyday life. Though I once believed that freedom and joy were some place else, when I learned to dance with the mystery of life, I discovered that daily life is where true joy actually lives.
I also learned that everyday life is where we test our mettle– have we really learned that lesson or is it just a nifty theory we like to contemplate?
Working through my personal hardships has taught me about being vulnerable and courageous, opening my heart, listening to my body, experimenting with new approaches, and expanding my mind to embrace new understandings. My own suffering has also helped me understand and care for suffering in others, widening my circle of compassion further.
Knowledge, empathy, and skill – gained through exploring my personal issues – are my most important therapeutic offerings. Alongside this knowledge is my graduate training, which acts as a secondary tool in the therapy process. My state license represents an official certification, offering you reassurance that I provide professional services that meet the highest standard of care.
If you feel called to reach out, I offer a free 15-minute consultation so that you can find out whether we’d be a good match. I can be reached at (323) 577-3430 through voice or text.
I look forward to hearing from you,
Daniel Chazanas
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, LMFT #102053
Credentials, Experience, and Training
- UC Berkeley: BA in Interdisciplinary Studies. Academic emphases: depth psychology, religious studies, and fine art
- Antioch University: MA in Clinical Psychology. Academic emphases: mindfulness, indigenous healing practices, developmental trauma, and somatic psychology
- Board Certified Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT): granted by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences
- Mindfulness Meditation: over 25 years of meditation practice, informed by residential retreats, Buddhist studies, and attendance at mindfulness seminars
- Indigenous Healing and Lifeways: completed extensive, authentic pilgrimage path within indigenous culture over course of several years, informing my holistic worldview in profound ways
- Open Paths Counseling Center: multi-year, supervised internship at this Culver City non-profit, providing therapy and counseling to adults, children, couples and families
- Group Therapy Leader: several years practice serving as facilitator and therapist for anxiety disorder groups
- Southern California Counseling Center: Community Counselor Certification (CCC) awarded for the study, training and practice in facilitating group processes and psychotherapy
- People Assisting the Homeless (PATH): volunteer in providing unhoused individuals with a variety of support services
- Institute for Applied Behavioral Analysis (IABA): provided behavioral support services for adults & children with variety of developmental disabilities, including Autism and Down Syndrome
- Personal Process: I’ve delved deeply into my own healing through a variety of conventional and less-conventional modalities. This lifelong journey has been a source of great learning and growth, which I infuse into my work as a therapist